JACKSONVILLE, Fla. >> After missing games against the Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Rams and Indianapolis Colts, linebacker Blake Cashman made his return for the Vikings against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday afternoon at EverBank Stadium.

This has been more than month in the making for Cashman. He has been suffering from a case of turf toe since the Oct. 6 game against the New York Jets in London. After working his way through the recovery process, he returned to practice this week and was listed as questionable on the injury report.

“It sucks being out,” Cashman said. “I’ve missed a lot of time in my career. I don’t like being deprived of football. To get back out there and play with everybody and experience the fun of making plays was awesome.”

The addition of Cashman served as a major boost for the Vikings. He was the main communicator on defense throughout the 5-0 start, and while linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. stepped up to fill the void over the past few weeks, it wasn’t the same as having Cashman calling the shots.

The results were palpable with Cashman back in the mix, as the Vikings held the Jaguars to a mere 143 yards of total offense. He played a starring role in the dominance with a handful of tackles, a sack and a pressure that directly led to an interception by Cam Bynum.

“It felt good to be joining the party and to have the defensive performance that we had,” Cashman said. “I’m glad I was able to get healthy and get out there and be able to experience that with everybody again.”

Asked what it was like having Cashman back, head coach Kevin O’Connell emphasized how well he has performed to this point.

“There’s a reason why we went and got him,” O’Connell said. “It felt really good to have that group back together.”

His teammates echoed those sentiments.

“It was great,” edge rusher Jonathan Greenard said. “He keeps everybody calm on defense. I”m glad that he came back and actually balled out. He made some crazy plays, and I’m excited to see how much he’s still going to keep building into the defense.”

Briefly

The inactive players for the Vikings included quarterback Brett Rypien, cornerback Fabian Moreau, cornerback Dwight McGlothern, defensive tackle Levi Drake Rodriguez, center Dan Feeney and tackle Walter Rouse.

On the other end, starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence was inactive for the Jaguars, thrusting backup quarterback Mac Jones into action for the first time this season.